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Abstract
The Central bioregion is a vast area, stretching from Canada to Mexico and from the eastern forests to the Rocky Mountains, dominated by grasslands and shrublands, but inclusive of riparian and other forests. This bioregion has been impacted by many human-induced changes, particularly relating to agricultural practices, over the past 150 years. Also changed are fire regimes, first by native peoples who used fire for a variety of purposes and then by European settlers, who directly and indirectly contributed to a great reduction in the frequency of fire on the landscape. Perhaps of even greater importance has been the introduction of nonnative plant species, which have come to impact every community type to some degree.
Parent Publication
Keywords
ecosystem,
fire effects,
fire management,
fire regime,
fire severity,
fuels,
grass/fire cycle,
invasibility,
invasiveness,
monitoring,
nonnative species,
plant community
Citation
Grace, James B.; Zouhar, Kristin. 2008. Chapter 7: Fire and nonnative invasive plants in the Central bioregion. In: Zouhar, Kristin; Smith, Jane Kapler; Sutherland, Steve; Brooks, Matthew L. Wildland fire in ecosystems: fire and nonnative invasive plants. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-42-vol. 6. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 113-140
